


In Which Kuroko is Something Else and Love Doesn't Always Fix Things

by bisexualkiseryouta



Series: To the Beautiful AUs [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Akashi doesn't know what his dad is really doing, Angst, Kuroko and his sis are mutants, M/M, Mad Scientists, everyone loves kuroko, fluff hopefully, humor eventually, mutant AU kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-25
Updated: 2015-06-22
Packaged: 2018-02-14 08:15:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2184444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualkiseryouta/pseuds/bisexualkiseryouta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story about Kuroko Tetsuya, a very special person, meeting an odd group of people and becoming friends.</p>
<p>OR</p>
<p>Kuroko Tetsuya is a mutant- something different and dangerous and hated- that ends up going to school because of some scientist's hypothesis or government mandate or something and he meets a bunch of well meaning people that want to help (but who really can't).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Patient 0001 and 0002

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko Tetsuya and his little sister, Ayano, are different.  
> And, to the Company, different means dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MORE FANFICS I SHOULDN'T BE WRITING, WHOOP, WHOOOP~
> 
> So, anyways, I wanted to try my hand at writing something a little more serious and angsty, I guess? I mean, I'm in love with writing fluff and crack and just random AUs, but I feel like all I write is happy stuff, but sometimes I want to read something and feel like someone punched me in my heart space- I dunno, but, you know, here's a story that will end up being my attempt at angst.
> 
> Enjoy, and comments and criticism are welcome~

"Tetsu-nii. Wake up."

A soft voice is tugging at the edges of his consciousness, making his particularly vibrant dream about an elephant and a giraffe fade slowly, and then a finger is poking his cheek gently. "Tetsu-nii, you need to wake up." The finger presses harder against his cheek before disappearing completely-  _she probably got bored_. Kuroko waits, holding perfectly still, listening for the inevitable squeak as Ayano hops off his bed and returns to whatever she was doing before, letting him go back to sleep.

"Tetsu-nii~ stop being a meanie. I know you're awake~" she whines loudly, and Kuroko can  _feel_ the overdramatic pout she's directing at him. "You stopped snoring, so I know you're not asleep."

 _I do not snore._ "Ah, I knew you were awake! Get up! I'm bored~"

Kuroko cracks his eyes open, blinking frantically as his eyes adjust to the blinding fluorescent lights bearing down on him; it's like he's staring directly in the sun. Slowly, his eyes grow accustomed to the bright lights embedded in the smooth white ceiling. The lights switch on every morning at exactly 7 am, and turn off at 9:30 pm on the dot. The lights are unnaturally bright and placed strategically so that there isn't a shadow to be seen in the entire room.

The bright lights seem even brighter because everything in the room is white- immaculately white without a speck of color anywhere in sight. There's the white tiled ceiling, the padded white walls and floor, the two identical white beds with white sheets, white pillows, and a white blanket, a white trunk at the foot of each bed, and a white desk beside the white door.

Everything is incredibly, unbearably, intolerably  _white_.

Kuroko throws off his blanket and sits up, letting out a soft groan; his neck feels stiff and awkward.  _You probably slept on it wrong. You always get in weird positions when you're asleep._ Ayano's thoughts flit into his head, holding just the faintest feeling of amusement.  _You're one to talk_ , he shoots back. Kuroko carefully kneads the back of his neck, wincing as his fingers brush against a particularly sore spot.  _Jeez, brother, want some help with that? You look like you're about to cry._

Kuroko's eyes slide from the miniscule window in the door- a 13 cm by 13 cm square of bulletproof glass tucked neatly in the heavy metal door- to the girl slouched over on the bed at his feet.

His little sister's slim body is clad in white scrubs that are a few sizes too big, drowning the sharp angles and soft curves of her body in the scratchy, white fabric. Her skin is almost pale enough to match her clothing; pale to an extent that it seems unhealthy- pale that points to a life hidden away from the sun. "Some girls would  _kill_ for skin like that," one of the female scientists once told them. "Models would give their right arm for porcelain skin like yours." Ayano blushed at that, a soft, red hue flooding into her cheeks, and Kuroko couldn't help but think that she looked much better with some color. _  
_

 _Your hair has grown_ , he notes. Ayano's hair that used to reach the middle of her back is rapidly approaching waist-length; the ends of her wavy, powder-blue locks brush a spot a few centimeters above her waist.  _Yeah. Well. It's not like I can cut it. No sharp objects, remember?_ She brushes an errant strand behind her ear, sounding slightly annoyed.  _You could always ask someone else to do it? Or ask for a hair tie?_

Ayano turns toward him, her face in that pseudo-serious expression she always gets before she's about to make a joke.

_I could kill a man with a hair tie._

_You could kill a man with your hands, but you still have those, don't you?_

_Are you suggesting they should cut off my hands?_

_Just ask for a hair tie._

With a soft  _harrumph_ , Ayano turns away again, glaring angrily at the wall, crossing her arms, and pouting; she's started doing that a lot more lately. Being annoyed with Kuroko. "It's hormones, hun," Hikari-san, the low-level worker who brings them their food and otherwise keeps them alive and smelling pleasant, once told him. Ayano stormed off in the middle of a session when he accidentally said he didn't think they'd ever get out of this place- this place of overwhelming white that has been Ayano's only home. Her whole life she's wanted to leave, to see the real world, to meet people who weren't paid to be there. And Kuroko offhandedly destroyed her dream, like he didn't even care. "She's a girl. She wants to go shopping and have boyfriends and go to school like those girls in her books. You need to be sensitive about that; Ayano's the type to ignore you for the rest of eternity if she sees it to be a fitting punishment."

 _Stop staring at me, onii-chan, it's weird._  She shifts her position, and the slim, silver cuffs on her wrists come into Kuroko's view. They're snugly fit around her wrist, but not tight enough to injure her, and are plain except for the letters AC emblazoned on them; to any random person on the street, Ayano's accessories would seem like a cute fashion choice.

Of course, to Kuroko's eyes, they're quite obviously something else.

A matching set of silver cuffs weigh down his own wrists, fitting closely against his pale skin, making him sick inside when he thinks about them. The cuffs are one of the Company's most prized inventions: fashionable bracelets that double as tracking devices and power suppressants.

Something in the bracelet- electrical impulses, a drug, magic, who the hell knows?- prevents Kuroko and Ayano from using their powers. Well, most of them; the scientists have yet to come up with a cure for their ability to communicate telepathically. That's been a source of constant ire for many of them. "I don't understand it!" One of the scientists once blew up. "What the hell is  _wrong_ with you two? How come we can't fix this shit? We stopped half your freaky power shit- what the hell are we missing to get rid of this half?"

Imayoshi-san, the head scientist for Kuroko and Ayano's case, flashed the scientist one of his patented, you'll-be-dead-later smiles that some might mistake for polite amusement if they didn't notice the gleam in his eyes. "Now, now; don't throw a tantrum. It's only a matter of time before we figure things out- although, an autopsy would probably expedite the process considerably." The look Imayoshi-san then gave Kuroko terrified him in a way the constant needle-sticking and drug-testing didn't; he knew, deep down, that Imayoshi would love to tie him down to a table and cut him open and tamper with his innards to his heart's content. "But, of course, we would never do such a thing to our most  _valuable_ test subjects."

Kuroko suppresses a shudder at the memory- Imayoshi is probably the most terrifying, homicidal scientist he's ever met. The man became head scientist in Kuroko's tenth year, and has been subjecting them to frequent tests and unorthodox "treatment" sessions since.

The door to the room swings open, but neither Kuroko nor Ayano move from their spot as a group of lackies in mint green scrubs file in, and a sadist in a lab coat stands in the middle of the swarm of people. "Good morning, Ayano-chan, Tetsuya-kun." He says in a sing-song voice, rubbing his hands together with excitement. "I apologize for the sudden intrusion- but I found the most fabulous thing! Really, quite amazing, so if you would be good children, and come along..." Imayoshi lets the sentence trail off as Kuroko and Ayano stand up, not resisting in the least as the men in green grab them roughly and pull them from the room with more force than is truly necessary.

 _I wonder what "amazing" thing he found this time_ , Ayano's voice floods into his mind, heavy with an emotion he understands perfectly.

_Whatever it is, it's guaranteed to be painful._

* * *

**An Excerpt from Case File XXX**

**Classified- Level 5 Authorization Only**

**Patient Number:**  0001

 **Patient's Name:**  XXXXXX Tetsuya

 **Patient's DOB:** 01/31/19XX

 **Height:** 168 cm

 **Weight:** 57 kg

 **Special Characteristics (Restricted- Level 6 Authorization Required):** 0001 has exhibited signs of telepathic communication with Patient 0002; 0001 has been observed to 'disappear' into shadows- is unable to travel through shadows in Room XXX. 0001 has been observed 'turning invisible' by more than one nurse. Invisibility has been suppressed by Invention XXXX3.

 **Notes:** _0001 completely rejects all drugs that have been used as attempts to suppress telepathic communication with 0002; multiple times, 0001 has been in critical condition. 0001 appears to have extremely low endurance and, additionally, low presence. Invention XXXX3 has been able to suppress his ability to disappear completely, but his low presence remains. 0001 is considered extremely dangerous and should be handled with extreme caution. -_ Head Scientist, Imayoshi

* * *

**An Excerpt from Case File XXX**

**Classified- Level 5 Authorization Only**

**Patient Number:** 0002

 **Patient's Name:** XXXXXX Ayano

 **Patient's DOB:**  02/14/19XX

 **Height:** 152.4 cm

 **Weight:** 45.3 kg

 **Special Characteristics (Restricted- Level 6 Authorization Required):** 0002 has exhibited signs of telepathic communication with Patient 0001. 0002 has been found to 'jump' from place to place- 0002 will disappear from one room and appear in another. As of yet, no limits on her abilities have been found; 0002 could seemingly 'jump' halfway around the world without stopping. 0002 has been observed 'compelling' others to look at her- the opposite of 0001's 'invisibility'. Jumping has been suppressed by Invention XXXX3, but a more permanent solution is necessary. Compulsion is not suppressed by Invention XXXX3, therefore, patient is given heavy sedatives daily.

 **Notes:**   _0002's body doesn't react nor reject all drugs used as attempts to suppress telepathic communication with 0001. 0002 doesn't respond to any treatment. 0002 has a tendency to make others sympathize with her- is considered very dangerous. 0002 should not be engaged by anyone except high level scientists and, even then, one should be careful. 0002 is very violent and should not be provoked. -_ Head Scientist, Imayoshi

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this first chapter was going to be a lot longer, and include the main plot introduction, but I guess this is kind of more of a prologue? Um, so, more Ayano (she is the OC that pops up and everything like a KnB OC gopher, but she's always a 'lil different.
> 
> Tell me what you think! Haha, sorry if you read my other stuff and are like "wth, could she maybe update HER OTHER STORIES FOR ONCE IN THIS LIFETIME JEEZ", but I hit writer's block walls a lot, and updates are slow and sluggish when I'm not inspired, so I apologize for that...
> 
> Anyways, hope you liked!


	2. Relocation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imayoshi has a little chat with the Tragic Duo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for late updates~ School is a pain, and my brain is dead... so here's a short chappy to set up the plot! (And I don't hate Imayoshi, but... I needed a villain. Sorry ;-;)
> 
> So, enjoy!

Imayoshi sits behind his big desk, smiling that uncomfortably self-satisfied smile, eyes intently focused on the two children in front of him. Well, maybe not children, exactly. Closer to teenagers or young adults now.

The older one- the boy, Tetsuya- meets Imayoshi's intense gaze with barely concealed defiance in his eyes.  _Tetsuya really is an interesting one_ , Imayoshi thinks. Even after a lifetime in this institution, he refuses to give up hope. Hope for what exactly, Imayoshi couldn't guess; it's not as though there's anyone left to rescue them. Their family has long since been extinguished, and the idea of the government stepping in is laughable. Even the government wouldn't dare cross the CEO and founder of Akashi Corporations, Akashi Sei. The name "Akashi" is unanimous with "power" or "authority". And these two are just unlucky enough to get caught up in this terrible situation- they're nothing more than lab rats for Imayoshi to do with as he pleases.

The younger sibling- the girl, Ayano- stares down at her feet, long hair covering her face. That stubborn pride that keeps her from asking for a haircut or a hair tie reminds Imayoshi of her mother; so stubborn and strong and so,  _so_ fragile. Physically and mentally, the girl is a wall that could never be broken; emotionally is a whole other story. She wants that thing called  _freedom_ that tastes so sweet on her lips- and she is destined to always be caged in, a prisoner for the rest of her life.

The two make a tragic pair, really; something worthy of a Shakespearean play.

And it's so  _delightful_ to play with them like this.

"Ah, it's been a while since we just  _talked_ , hasn't it? Ayano-chan, Tetsuya-kun?" Ayano nods slightly and Tetsuya raises an eyebrow at him.  _Get on with it_ he seems to be saying.

 _Oh, no,_ Imayoshi thinks,  _I'm going to take my sweet time with this one_.

"Such a pity. I really do enjoy speaking with you two- it's so...  _enlightening_." His eyes trail over Ayano, who stiffens. The last time they all "talked" ended with her bleeding, unconscious, on the ground as Tetsuya fought against the security guards in a losing battle; no one- not even a monster like him- could stand up to tasers and guns and darts full of poison. Of course, the guards are instructed to not kill them, but accidents do happen, you know. "You two are really quite interesting. So powerful, so young. A very deadly combination." His eyes return to Tetsuya, who is squeezing his hands tightly together in his lap, and the sight is  _delectable_. Imayoshi is not the biggest sadist in the company- far from the sadistic Akashi Sei and his "head of security", Hanamiya Makoto,- but something about watching these two struggle to survive is so  _appealing_ he almost can't stand it.

Who knew being the villain could be this fun?

"And your abilities- well, they speak for themselves. Jumping and shadow travel? Both so similar, but so different. Then your opposite powers of disappearing and compulsion- and don't forget the telepathy. I never could have  _dreamt_ of discovering such creatures," Imayoshi continues. Tetsuya bristles slightly, and Ayano slumps in her chair.  _Poor little children._ "Or of being able to perform such experiments on you! All the knowledge I've gained, it's all thanks to you.

"But, sadly, there isn't any more information to be gained with the methods we have used so far.

"Instead, we'd like to practice something more like... observation. See how you- and your powers- react to a different environment and different people. We believe this is the best way to proceed."

Imayoshi pauses, waiting for his words to sink in. Tetsuya stares blankly at him, but Ayano's head jerks up and she stares at him with wide eyes. "You mean... we can leave here?"

"Well, not leave exactly," he smiles at the hopeful expression on the girl's face. "More like... taking a vacation. You two will be moved from this facility for the time being, and placed with a host 'family'. You will be monitored constantly, so I really suggest that you be good children and refrain from trying to run away. It would be a pity to have to _put down_ a subject before this new experimentation." Ayano's eyes are as big as saucers, but Tetsuya is watching him suspiciously, eyes narrowed, lips turning down in a frown. "What's the catch?"

"Catch? Why must there be a catch, Tetsuya-kun?" Imayoshi feigns offense and places a hand dramatically over his heart. "If I didn't know you better, I'd think you don't trust me."

"That's because I don't."  _Mm. Smart kid._

"Ah, well, I suppose there is something I haven't mentioned..." Imayoshi smiles again, enjoying their wary gazes. "We'll be sending you to a school. To help you blend in better." The excited expression on Ayano's face is enough to make him smile a sickeningly happy smile.  _Oh, how I can't wait to break that smile._


	3. A Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kuroko siblings meet their new caretaker. And the person is not what they expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so sorry if there's some OOCness going on with Hanamiya, but I wasn't 100 percent sure how to write him... And it's a little violence-y this chapter, so read with caution!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

_Why are they doing this?_

_Why?_

Tetsuya doesn't fight against the bulky men in suits who suddenly flood the office; he doesn't struggle when they drag him out of his chair and hustle him into the hallway. There's no reason to fight anymore, right? This- leaving this awful hellhole of a place- is what they've always wanted, isn't it? What they've been struggling to escape from? This is the best thing that could happen right now.

_But why does it make me feel like something's wrong?_

Kuroko Tetsuya has always been a creature of instinct. He relies on that inner voice of his more than anything else- facts, what other people tell him, even what his senses tell him- because so many, many things in this world are lies. Only a fool would trust his eyes or his ears when he knows damn well that the people in this place are professionals at making things not what they seem, and this "vacation" feels wrong.  _Maybe there's a government inspection and they need to hide us? Or some press outside found out- and they have to let the journalists in to look around and see that nothing wrong? Or... maybe Imayoshi is just being a sadistic asshole, and that's all a load of crap to get our hopes up?_

 _Or maybe it's for real, Tetsu-nii?_ Tetsuya almost jerks to a halt when he hears Ayano. The hopefulness in her thoughts- oh, it could kill him. Seeing that hope taken away from her because this is BS would really kill him.

_I know... that Imayoshi always lies. Always, always, always. I don't think a word of truth has come out of his mouth._

_But, can't we try to trust him this once, Nii-chan?_

_I know... I know it could be a lie, right? Because liars lie- and why would this be different?_

_But, just this once, Nii-chan, could you please let me get my hopes up for something?_

_I want to see something more than our padded room or the Torture Rooms or his office._

_I want to see what normal people see._

"Just... this once." Tetsuya mutters as a security guard pulls him roughly, barking at him to hurry up. "Damn freaks think they're special, or some shit!" An elbow catches his side and Tetsuya tips forward, stopped in his descent by a meaty fist slamming into his gut; breaths are wheezing out of his lungs and- God, it hurts. Even after years of this- these beatings because they're  _different_ , because they're  _wrong_ \- he can't take a hit. Not really.

"Stop it!"

Ayano's eyes are wide and angry and terrified and her voice is shrill and Tetsuya is thinking that they're definitely getting knocked out for this trip. The security guard that was hitting him lets go, allowing him to slump to the ground. The man starts towards Ayano and there's hatred in his eyes.

_Why are they doing this?_

_We just... want to be alive._

_What's so wrong with wanting to live?_

_What's wrong with us?_

* * *

Tetsuya wakes up in a car.

After the scuffle in the hallway, he and his sister were given heavy sedatives. _"Tsk, tsk, Tetsuya-kun." Imayoshi-san chastised as he stuck the needle in Tetsuya's neck. "If you don't start behaving, there will be consequences. And we wouldn't want anything to happen to our dearest Ayano-chan, would we?" Imayoshi flicked a pointed glance at the girl, who was already in a deep, heavily medicated sleep, with darkening bruises and scrapes on her face._

_"I can never understand it, really. Why they enjoy beating her so much? I always expected them to enjoy hitting you more- but, alas, their scorn is more focused on your dear sister. If I were to hypothesize a reason," That terribly horrid smile appears on Imayoshi's face once again, "I suppose it could be because they find her attractive and they feel as though she's tricking them with her powers. Yes, that seems quite probable. So, be a good dear, Tetsuya._

_"Because your sister will be the one who is punished for your behavior."_

The idea of Ayano being hurt because of him- seriously hurt- is sickening.  _God, this isn't fair._

"Oi, Freaks." The security guard in the driver's seat- the one who beat them- smiles in the rearview mirror. His smile is disturbed just like Imayoshi's; it craves their pain. It wants them to hurt.  _Humans... are terrible._ Tetsuya strains against his seatbelt and the many other straps keeping him snugly fit in his seat.  _I want to kill him._

_He deserves to die._

_He hurt us._

_He hurt_ her _._

But violence is no real answer. If he could kill the man, which, in his state of powerlessness, he definitely could  _not_ , that would only get them sent back to their prison. It wouldn't fix anything; it would bring more of the people's ire and scorn on them. And Kuroko Tetsuya is not- and will never be- a killer. He doesn't have the heart for it.

"Time to get out." The guard continues, unaware of Tetsuya's thoughts. Ayano stirs beside him. Her big brown eyes are teary and tired when she opens them; Tetsuya can feel the pain rolling off of her in waves. Not physical pain- no, Ayano has long since grown accustomed to the sting of fists on her ribs and slaps on her face-, but the emotional pain that comes with each beating. _  
_

It hurts his heart to see that.

"You unbuckle them." The guard says to the man in the passenger seat- a man with mischievous eyes and longish black hair. "They're giving me dirty looks. Don't want them to fuckin' bite me, or somethin'. They might have rabies or some shit."

"Now, now," The man in the passenger seat chides, "There's no need to curse in front of the children."

"Children? Hah!" Driver man lets out a dark chuckle. "More like demons! There ain't a damn thing I can say that would corrupt their fuckin' innocence, Hanamiya. There wasn't any innocence to corrupt in the fuckin' first place."

"Now, now." Hanamiya replies, his voice deeper with something like annoyance in it. "Don't curse. That's an order."

"Fuck, Hanamiya, I don't get why it-"

The driver's voice suddenly cuts off and an awful gurgling sound fills the car. Hanamiya retracts a bloody hand from the other man's neck. "Ah. I guess I'll have to call for a replacement. A subordinate who doesn't follow orders is useless." He singsongs. Hanamiya turns to look at the siblings in the back, eyes alight with something like enjoyment. "I'm Hanamiya Makoto, and you're mine now."

* * *

_Nii-chan, I'm scared._

Her voice trembles and Tetsuya reaches over to squeeze her hand.  _I know. It'll be okay. I'll take care of you. It's okay. It's okay. I've got you._ The thoughts become a mantra almost as he strokes her hand, feeling the goosebumps on her arm. They're lying on Ayano's bed, both too afraid to split up into their designated rooms. Hanamiya had led them from the ominous, black SUV up to a plainly decorated apartment. Just the basic necessities had been taken care of- food in the fridge, toiletries in their shared bathroom, and clothing in their closets. There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a tiny kitchen, and a miniscule living room with a prehistoric looking TV. Hanamiya retreated to his own room to make his calls after pointing out their own to them. "How cute." He'd said, eyeing their entwined hands. "Sibling love."

_I think he wants to kill us, Tetsu-nii. I think he really does._

This isn't what Tetsuya expected; he hadn't imagined Imayoshi could be so cruel. He gave them to a  _murderer_. This man- Hanamiya Makoto- is nothing at all like Imayoshi. Sure, Imayoshi was the scum of the earth, forcing medication down their throats and sticking them all over with needles, all the while sporting a pleased smile on his face; but this guy, Hanamiya, is a different breed of evil altogether. His game of cat and mouse doesn't keep going on and on forever.

His game ends with death.

_I know. But we'll be okay. We're in the real world, right? He can't just kill us._

_Really?_

_Really._

Or at least, that's what Tetsuya hopes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so next chapter should be them getting into school, so the MiraGen will be here soon! Hope you guys liked it- sad stuff is so hard to write...


	4. Microwavable Ramen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanamiya gives the house rules, the Kuroko siblings struggle to make microwaveable ramen, and Ayano is surprisingly good at the school thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY, GUYSSSSSS ^u^ It's everybody's favorite bum of a writer, returning after like two months or more... ;u; I have no concept of time.
> 
> ANYWAYSSS, it's break time, so Imma be updating everything I can, so I'll try to knock out a few more chappies of this before I return to the hell that is school. Sorry if the whole school thing in this chap isn't that great- I'm going on what I've seen in shows and read about, so please, if I get anything wrong, just correct me!
> 
> ENJOYYYY! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Criticism, complements, and suggestions are super welcome!

"Hm, these kids are great, Imayoshi. Better than I expected." Hanamiya comments, leaning back in his desk chair. The girl- something with an "A"... Aya-something, he thinks- was on the verge of tears when he brought them up to the apartment. Her brown eyes were wide with terror and she was clenching her fists so hard Hanamiya was sure it had to be painful. But, she wasn't a disappointment. There was this- hm, how could he say it?-  _defiance_ in her eyes. Something in her stance that showed she would put up a fight if he tried to hurt her. She wasn't the broken doll he was expecting. "I thought you said the girl was this weak little thing."

"She is. Compared to her brother." Imayoshi replies absentmindedly. The sound of a keyboard being used is loud in the background- ah. He's probably looking for a replacement for that dumbass Hanamiya had to dispose of in the car. "He's the one who's on... offense. She's more defense."

"Oh, really?" Hanamiya's eyes rake over the picture on his computer screen; it's the boy. He has shaggy powder blue hair that sticks up messily, like he's never been introduced to a comb, and big sky blue eyes that stare blankly through the screen. There is no half-hearted smile like in the girl's picture- his lips are in a fine line. His eyebrows are scrunched together in the most miniscule amount. _Ah, so he's annoyed._ His skin is the same unhealthy pale of his sister's. His shoulders are slim for a teenage boy- his whole figure is, really. He's not bulky with muscle like some guys, but he's not scrawny either. He's more... lean, maybe? Hanamiya guesses he could throw a pretty good punch. "He sure does look interesting."

"Mm," is Imayoshi's only reply. Hanamiya doesn't mind though; he's too busy thinking about how  _fun_ this babysitting gig is going to be. He was really expecting to be bored, but he got a pleasant surprise. "Try not to kill them, Hanamiya. They're quite irreplaceable."

"Of course, of course. I'll take great care of the brats."  _Especially that boy one_ , he thinks. _Kuroko Tetsuya... you're going to make a great toy._

* * *

"There are three house rules." Hanamiya announces after sitting the siblings down in the living room for a 'quick chat'. Tetsuya eyes him warily.  _Rules are never a good sign_ , Ayano whispers in his mind.  _No, they never are._ He agrees.

"First: I'm not here to take care of you. You do that yourself. Cooking, cleaning, all that jazz- that's on you.

"Second: you are never to invite anybody under any circumstances to the apartment. Ever. And you are never to go to someone else's home.

"Third: don't try escaping. As 'irreplaceable' as you two are, we only really need one; I could kill either of you at any time.

"Are we clear?"

Ayano nods quickly, squeaking out a soft  _yes sir_ , while Tetsuya frowns and nods slowly. The conversation is fast and straight to the point- something Hanamiya prizes. He hates when people beat around the bush or insert unnecessary details. "Good. I'll be in my room. Be ready to leave at 7 tomorrow morning." And the discussion is over and their new caretaker is returning to his room. Tetsuya catches a glimpse of a computer screen and a phone before the door slides shut with a definitive  _click_.

"We should... make food... and go to bed. Right, Nii-chan?" Ayano whispers. She stands up mechanically and starts shuffling to the kitchen, making as little noise as possible. Tetsuya follows soon after. His eyes are glued to the many shadows clinging to the corners of the room, wishing those damn bracelets were off and he could just whisk his sister and himself out of this awful place. They could find a home for themselves somewhere far, far away from people; there'd be no one to turn them in or hate them or beat them. They wouldn't have to be  _monsters_ anymore.

"Um." Ayano glances over her shoulder at her brother. "There's, ah, box ramen? It says to heat it up in the microwave? Everything else looks like it needs to be actually cooked... So. Let's eat this." Tetsuya nods in agreement. "Okay. So. What's a microwave?"

"Well." Tetsuya drags his eyes from a particularly dark shadow to the implements in the kitchen. "That thing is a stove, I think. And I'm pretty sure that's an oven. And that looks like the machine they used for coffee... so would it be that thing?" He points at the black rectangular thing on the counter. There's a keypad on it, numbers and words lit up in an eerie green light; there's no handle, but there's a pane of glass in the front. There's no light on behind the glass, so Tetsuya can't see if there's anything in there. "Okay. Yes. So we have a microwave." Ayano holds the box in front of her face, squinting at the instructions. "Open... plastic lid... to halfway...point. Then, fill box... to line... with water, and put in microwave on... high... for four minutes?"

She peels back the lid and stares inside the box. "Remove... packets... before heating." Ayano reads and she pulls out two foil packets and lays them carefully on the counter. "Okay. Water. Would come from...?"

"The sink."

"Ah, yes. The sink." Ayano stares at the faucet and the knobs for a moment before turning to her brother with a confused expression. "Here," Tetsuya says, grabbing the box, "let me."

He fills up the box with water as instructed and waddles over to peer at the microwave. "I believe we need to open this."

"Mm. Okay. Let me try." Ayano lets her hands roam over the microwave, feeling for a button or a handle or  _something_ , until she comes upon a seam on the top of the microwave. She digs her nails in and tugs hard on the door, almost bringing the thing over on herself when the door easily pops open. "Wow! Cool- okay, now put the box in." Tetsuya sets the box on a circular plate in the microwave, a yellow light flickering on as he does. "Now... we close the door, maybe?"

"Yes. I believe so." He shuts the microwave door and they turn to stare at the keypad. "Do we need a code or something?"

"Let's just try pressing something."

Tetsuya pushes the number 4 and a small screen above the pad blinks with a green 4. "...Try a zero! Ooh, it's, um, a timer! Hikari-san told me about one of these things once!"

"Alright." Tetsuya pushes the zero button twice at Ayano's request and then presses START. The box of ramen spins around slowly in the microwave, making soft noises as it goes. The siblings watch it go round and round until a soft  _beep_ sounds and the door pops open. "Ow! Hot, hot, hot!" Ayano yelps after trying- and failing- to get the food out of the microwave. "Are you okay?" Tetsuya asks worriedly, grabbing his sister's hand and eyeing the angry red of her fingertips. "Mm. I'm okay. We should... let it cool off, I guess."

"Probably."

"So, Tetsu-nii." she starts after they sit down at the small kitchen table, waiting for the ramen to cool down. "Do you... do you think they'll like us? At school, I mean." Her eyes are downcast and she's fidgeting nervously. "I'm not sure, Ayano. I hope so."

And so goes their first night in their new home. They share a box of chicken-flavored ramen and a bottle of water before going to sleep together in different rooms, for the first time in their lives.

* * *

"Wake up.

"Nii-chan, you have to get up.

"We have to leave in an hour.

"TETSUYA!"

Tetsuya pushes his sister's face away with a groan; his muscles ache and his eyes are sore and he feels like absolute crap. "C'mon, you need to get up. Take a shower, and I'll make us some breakfast." Ayano hurries over to his closet, her new uniform skirt flouncing, and pulls out his own uniform. "C'mon, c'mon! We don't want to make Hanamiya-san mad!" The last part is a harsh whisper that has Tetsuya scrambling out of bed and towards the bathroom.  _No, we really don't want to make the murderous psycho mad._ But, Tetsuya can feel his sister's excitement.

This is what she's always wanted to see.

This is what they've deprived her of.

A simple high school life with her big brother. With a home.  _I'm sorry, Tetsu-nii. I know it's wrong, but I'm excited._ She tells him as he steps into the hot shower, wincing at the scalding water pouring over his body.  _I want to make friends. I want to be normal for once._

Ayano's presence in his mind disappears- well. Not  _disappears_ , really. It's more like she's pulled back into her own mind, deciding that she doesn't need to be present for his shower time, but he can still feel her on the edges of his consciousness, always there, waiting for when he needs her. Honestly, Tetsuya can't remember what it was like before they started talking to each other in their heads; he can't even remember which one of them discovered it, anymore. His entire life, he's had his sister there, physically and mentally right beside him.

 _But, now, she won't be beside you_ , the nasty voice in his head whispers.  _You're on your own._

Tetsuya decides to ignore the negative thoughts and focuses on determining which soaps he's supposed to put on his body and which he's supposed to use on his hair.  _Shampoo and conditioner are for hair; body wash is for body._ Ayano supplies, sounding distracted.  _Alright. Thank you._ Tetsuya scrubs his hair with the sweet-smelling shampoo; it smells like something... floral? It smells vaguely similar to the pungent odor of Akashi-sama's boutonniere.  _Ah, so... rose?_ The conditioner, on the other hand, has a strong soap smell; not exactly unpleasant, but not really nice either. The body wash smells fruity. Which fruit it smells like, he couldn't tell you; it's not like he has much experience with fruit in general. The closest thing he's had to fresh fruit is the thick orange juice Hikari-san once snuck them for breakfast. "A breakfast isn't complete without a glass of orange juice, you know? I keep tellin' them that, but they'd rather feed you two that overly processed crap- and here they say they're tryin' to keep you healthy! Ha! What a laugh." She grumbled.

Tetsuya manages to get through his shower without falling and hurting his hip like Ayano did.  _The floor was slippery, okay?!_ She grumbles defensively.  _Yes, yes. It was all the floor's fault. Because you are a graceful swan._

 _Oi, shut your face, Nii-chan! I_ am  _graceful!_

_Yeah, sure._

_SHUT UP!!!!_

He presses a hand to his mouth to hide his smile; Ayano really is the funniest. She's so easily embarrassed, even though she falls  _all. The. Time._  A stack of clothes is waiting on the closed lid of the toilet for him after he's dried off. The dress shirt is itchy, the jacket is way too warm, the pants are too long, the tie is a complete mystery to him-  _knock, knock. Lemme in. I can help._

Tetsuya reaches out and unlocks the door, pulling it open to find Ayano standing there, her own uniform looking natural on her. The skirt is a tad short on her, Tetsuya thinks, but otherwise it's perfect: a short, brown and navy blue plaid pleated skirt, a white dress shirt, a navy and brown striped tie, a pale yellow sweater, and the dust brown colored jacket. A pair of high knee socks dangles from her hand as she comes closer to observe Tetsuya's attempt at tying a tie. "Hmm... Try going under the knot thingie." She carelessly drops her socks by the sink and takes a hold of the tie, making quick work of the horrid thing. "How do you even know how to do this?"

"Hm? Oh- I read a book.  _A Gentleman's Handbook_ , I think it was called." Ayano plops on the toilet lid, grabbing her socks and awkwardly pulling them on her feet while Tetsuya buttons his jacket up. A quick glance in the mirror gives him pause.

A short boy with damp, light blue hair stares back at him, unblinkingly. He looks young in his uniform; he looks like he doesn't belong in such a dressy outfit. He looks like a  _child_. "Don't worry, Tetsu-nii," Ayano says, throwing an arm around his shoulders and peeking into the mirror, a small smile on her lips. "You look sharp. It suits you." The mirror isn't kind to them, though. They're a matching set of blue-haired misfits who have no business wearing school uniforms or pretending to be normal. "Dressed like this, it's almost like we're not..."  _Monsters?_ Tetsuya offers, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

 _...Different._ "Anyways, let's not dawdle. We have to eat and grab our bags." Her brown eyes sparkle with happiness and pride and Tetsuya decides that she's right. It is almost like they aren't different.

* * *

"Good morning, Akashicchi!"

Tetsuya grabs the sleeve of his sister's jacket, pulling her out of the way of a blond teenage boy who almost ran her over. The boy slows down slightly and flashes an apologetic smile over his shoulder. "Sorry, sorry!"

 _Be more careful. He could've hurt you._ Tetsuya frowns slightly at his sister, who frowns back at him.  _Tetsu-nii, we have to talk out loud or people will think we're weird._ "And I'm fine, Tetsu-nii." Her frown disappears and is promptly replaced with an excited grin. "Isn't this place so cool, though? It's humongous!" Tetsuya follows his sister's gaze to the buildings spread out before them. Teikou Academy- an expensive, private school that has a middle school, high school, and college- is beautiful and modern-looking. The two stand in a small courtyard where students are hanging in small gaggles, lounging on benches, chattering mindlessly about shows and books and people Tetsuya doesn't know. It's a little overwhelming to be honest.

"Come on, we should go in and look around so we won't be so lost, right?"

Tetsuya glances over to see Ayano starting forward, chest puffed up with fake confidence, trying to seem like she is not nervous at all.  _Lead the way, Your Majesty._ The girl shoots him a dirty look over her shoulder; he chuckles softly and follows close behind her, hesitating to take her hand like he usually would. Do normal teenagers do that? Would that make them seem different? Would people call them weird? As if reading his thoughts- oh, well, she probably was-, Ayano grabs his hand in hers, interlacing their fingers. "We're from a town far away, so it wouldn't seem too weird, I'm thinking." She muses as they mount the stairs to the school, brushing by two tall guys- one with red and black hair, one with dark blue hair- who seem to be in an intense argument. "Excuse us." Ayano mumbles as she brushes by the redhead, but he's too absorbed in the argument to notice them darting through the open doors.

A room full of small lockers stands before them and Ayano keeps a tight grip on her brothers hand as they walk down the rows, looking for their names. Pairs and trios of teenagers loiter around the lockers, chattering like the ones outside. "Ah, here they are." Ayano stops by two of the small lockers. A set of indoor shoes sits in each of the lockers, and Tetsuya can't help but wonder who put them there. The school staff? Imayoshi's people? Does everyone get a pair of random shoes in their lockers when they start school? That doesn't seem right. Ayano drops his hand so she can steady herself against the lockers while she slips out of her normal shoes and into the pair of indoor shoes. "Come on, Tetsu-nii. Your turn." Tetsuya slips off his shoes grudgingly, wondering what the point of this is. In the apartment, they don't wear shoes at all, they just walk around barefoot; that's how it was back at the labs, too. Why don't they just go barefoot at school? It would be a lot more comfortable, anyways.

"Now. Classrooms, right?" Tetsuya allows Ayano to grab his hand again and tug him away from the lockers and down one of the hallways, deciding she probably knows more about this kind of thing than he does. All those light novels and shoujo manga aren't a complete waste, he guesses. "We're in different classes, but we can meet up at lunch, alright? I'll come to your classroom." She stops in front of a sign and peers up at it, eyebrows creasing as she attempts to read it.  _I wonder if you need glasses or something..._ "I can see just fine, thankyouverymuch." She mumbles. "This is your classroom. If you need me, I'm in that one." Ayano points at a door that's two down on the opposite side. "I suppose that means you'll be going now?"

Ayano gives him an apologetic look and nods. "I want to see what the room looks like and see if there's anyone to talk to. This is a really good opportunity to make friends, you know? So let's both try really hard, okay, Onii-chan?"

"Mm."

_Don't be a sourpuss._

_I'm not being a sourpuss. I just... wish we were in the same class._

_I know, but we can't change that now._

_Yeah._

_Don't be sad, Nii-chan! If you get lonely, I'm always here._ Ayano taps her temple and flashes him a goofy grin. "Yeah, yeah. You can go now. I'm heading in." Tetsuya waves off his sister, rolling his eyes at the mock salute she gives him, and takes a deep breath before opening the door to his classroom.  _Guess this is it, then._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aha. Ah. Um. Cliff hanger. Yes. These chapter was literally about ramen, lol. Again, I'll try to update soon! Love you, my readers~


	5. Anxieties and Annoyances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tetsuya and Ayano attempt to make it through their first day of high school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATES YASSSS!!!
> 
> Okey, so, the only other characters introduced in this chapter are: Kiyoshi, Izuki, Kagami, and Kise, with a brief mention of Aomine, but soon, soon you shall have your other faves and such!
> 
> Also, I'm going to be adding a little side pairing with Ayano~ *drum roll please* ...With Momoi! Woop! Of course, it's not going to be ver romantic, more of a slightly-more-than-platonic deal, but, you know. 
> 
> I'm ver tired. So, enjoy! Comments/kudos/crit encouraged!

Ayano stands in front of the classroom door for a while after her older brother disappears into his own classroom. Her heart is beating unnatural fast and her hands are clenched into fists, nails digging into the soft skin of her palms. She’s worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. _This is what you_ wanted _, idiot! Just go in!_ She thinks to herself. _Just go in._ Her anxieties don’t abate and she can’t block out the worries- what if they don’t like her, what if she does something wrong-

What if they realize she’s a monster?

_Ayano, are you alright?_ There’s her brother’s worried voice in her head. It’s funny, she thinks, how he seems so much calmer than she does when she’s the one who’s been so desperate to be in a place like this. Tetsu-nii is a natural at this kind of thing, she guesses. He’s always been so good at adapting to changes. When the head scientists changed, he was the one supporting her through the transitions; and now, when she’s so close to her dream of a normal life- or at least the taste of one-, he’s right beside her, helping her through the change.

Tetsu-nii really is the better sibling.

_Course I am! Don’t worry about me, nii-chan! Make a lot of friends, okay?_

There’s a pause in their mental conversation, and she can feel him peeking around inside her head, trying to see if she’s lying. Ayano sends a quick apology up to whatever all-powerful being there is for hiding her feelings from her brother. She easily shoves the anxieties aside and pushes the excitement to the forefront of her mind, lying, lying, _lying_ like she always does.

_Alright, Ayano-chan. You do the same._ Then, like they’re ending a phone call, Tetsuya’s voice is gone. His presence is there- it’s always there-, but he’s not consciously communicating with her or searching through her mind. He’s giving her the most privacy he can.

_Get moving, idiot._ Before she can think too much about it, Ayano’s hand shoots out and slides open the door. Her feet carry her inside, her lips curve into a friendly smile, and she starts thinking enthusiastic thoughts with a lot of exclamation points. _So cool! Just like in the books! I’m so excited!_ She forces herself to walk with a bounce in her step to the front of the classroom, where the teacher sits. The only other student she sees is a dark-haired boy staring pensively out the window, resting his chin on his hand, looking like a brooding protagonist. _So, there’re really people like that?_

“Good morning! I’m a new student, Kuroko Ayano?”

_Just this once… let me be normal._

*          *          *

Tetsuya strolls up to the teacher’s desk in his classroom, ignoring the chattering girls already occupying the room. Even though Ayano told him to make friends, he has no real interest in socializing with his new classmates; why waste his time trying to build relationships when he could be focusing on more important things?

Like, an escape plan, perhaps.

With this new level of freedom, there are so many more possibilities: escape isn’t such a farfetched dream, now. Of course, he’ll have to play along to keep Imayoshi placated and to minimize the chances of being brutally murdered by his new _host family_ , but Tetsuya is sure he will be able to find a way out for himself and Ayano. _We could be free._ The idea makes his heart lift. _No more threats of death, no more beatings, no more experiments._

_No more being monsters._

Tetsuya stops in front of his homeroom teacher’s desk. His teacher is a man with light brown hair that looks slightly mussed, like he’s run a hand over it once too many times. The man is half-sprawled on his desk, presumably asleep, snoring uncomfortably loud. Tetsuya thinks he spots a ketchup stain on the man’s shirt collar. The sad-excuse for a tie hanging from the man’s neck has an odd pattern of ducks and bars of soap. _I suppose he hasn’t read_ A Gentleman’s Handbook. “Excuse me?”

The man doesn’t stir at Tetsuya’s disturbance. _How annoying._ “Excuse me, sir?” Tetsuya repeats a bit louder.

Still no response.

With a soft sigh, Tetsuya nudges the man’s beefy arm. Nothing. _He sleeps as deeply as Ayano. But, I can’t flick him on his head… or drop a book on his head… or anything like that._ Tetsuya nudges the man’s arm once more, with a lot more force, possibly enough force to leave a bruise, and says “ _excuse_ me” loudly, shocking the girls in the classroom because they didn’t even notice he was there and making his teacher jerk awake. “H-huh? Hyuuga?” The man blinks up at Tetsuya- well. In Tetsuya’s general vicinity. Tetsuya’s low presence makes it hard for people to notice him at first glance, even with his oddly-colored hair. “Excuse me, sensei, I’m right here.” The man’s eyes finally focus on him. “Ah,” He sits up in his desk chair, rolling his shoulders back because sleeping on a desk is not very comfortable, and, with a yawn, asks, “What can I do for you?”

“I’m your new student, Kuroko Tetsuya.”

“New student?” The man looks down at a piece of paper- which is now covered in drool- and squints at the messy scrawl on it. “Ah, the transfer! Cool! Nice to meet you, Kuroko, I’m your new homeroom teacher, Kiyoshi Teppei. Let’s do well together, yeah?” Kiyoshi smiles up at him, oozing with welcoming friendliness, and Tetsuya tries not to be annoyed with how casually his new teacher speaks with students. Personally, Tetsuya prefers figures of authority to be… authoritative.

Although, it’s not as though he likes figures of authority in general.

“Yes, sensei, let’s do well together.” Kuroko bows slightly. _Just try to be respectful, even though he seems like an idiot. An overly-familiar idiot._ “Great! Okay, so, for seating, we’re going to give you… that desk!” After glancing at a seating chart, Kiyoshi gestures enthusiastically to a desk in the front row, right beside the door. _…Terrific._

Tetsuya nods and starts towards the desk, but stops when his teacher calls out his name. “Ah, Kuroko-kun, why don’t you stay up here? I’ll have you introduce yourself to the class.” His teacher smiles- _why does he keep smiling that’s so odd what is he so happy about_ \- as he beckons Tetsuya back to his desk. _Do I have to associate with him until everybody is here?_ Tetsuya gets his answer when Kiyoshi starts prattling on about how Tetsuya should really try to make friends here and maybe join clubs and about how great the school is and oh Tetsuya will definitely love it here, he needn’t worry about that and so on and so on.

_He… really enjoys hearing himself talk, doesn’t he?_

_Harmless enough, though, I suppose. A bit too friendly._

_Ah, more people._

Tetsuya watches the students trickle in slowly, observing them as Kiyoshi continues to chatter incessantly. Most of them arrive in pairs or small groups and speak amongst themselves. The conversational topics vary: gossip about some couple, homework from the previous week, a new video game coming out, celebrity trivia. The most eye-catching of Tetsuya’s new classmates is a blond boy- who looks suspiciously like the one who almost ran over Ayano earlier- who enters the room with at least five girls surrounding him, hanging off his arms or standing uncomfortable close. He seems to enjoy the attention.

At a seemingly arbitrary point, a bell rings and all of the students split up to sit in their respective seats. “Oh-kay!” Kiyoshi rises from his chair happily, clapping his hands together. “Before we take roll today, I’m going to have the newest member of our class introduce himself! Everyone listen up, alright?” The man- who is significantly taller than Tetsuya, annoyingly enough- gestures for Tetsuya to introduce himself.

Everyone looks in confusion at the empty air their sensei is pointing to. Tetsuya takes a step forward and makes sure to stand up straight to give off an air of confidence. “Hello.” There’s the normal gasps of shock when people finally notice him and one boy even falls out of his chair, mumbling something about a ghost. Once everyone’s shock seems to have died down, he continues. “I am Kuroko Tetsuya; I just transferred here from-” _Say Kyoto, I said Kyoto,_ Ayano tells him, “Kyoto. Please take care of me.” Tetsuya bows before calmly shuffling over to his desk. _Thank you._

_No problem!_ Ayano enthuses.

Tetsuya ignores the whispering that follows his introduction. “What a weirdo! Is he a ghost or something?” One girl grumbles. “Does he get kicks out of scaring people? I bet he’s some kind of sadist.” A boy whispers to his friend. “What a _freak_ , right, Kise-kun?” A girl with too much make up on tells the blond boy.

_There goes making friends,_ Tetsuya sighs inwardly. Ayano’s going to be upset with him for giving up so quickly. “Okay, everybody, quiet down! It’s time for roll!”

*          *          *

“Hi there! I’m Kuroko Ayano, and my brother and I just moved here from Kyoto- it’s nice to meet all of you! Please take care of me!” Ayano says in her best I’m-so-happy-and-excited-and-friendly voice. Her homeroom teacher- an odd, black-haired man named Izuki who keeps making puns and giving her a _get it? get it????????_ look- motions for her to take her seat after her introduction. Her seat is, in her opinion, prime real estate: it’s in a row that’s near the middle of the classroom and its right beside a window. Perfect protagonist material, she thinks.

“She’s so _fake_.”

Ayano’s smile freezes on her face and she pauses a second too long when walking to her desk. _Fake?_ “Yeah, like, nobody’s that happy. Tch, she’s already annoying.” _Keep going, just keep going, ignore it, ignore it._ Ayano slides into her desk with a much dimmer smile than she started out with. Her heart is beating so loud she’s sure everyone can hear it. Her mouth is dry and her eyes sting. _They… don’t like me._

_The first day, and I’ve already screwed up._

_I should just die._

The ache she always feels when she does something wrong hits her full-force. Bad, awful thoughts swirl around in her head and she can feel her distress pulsing off of her, making people look at her with a mixture of annoyance and pity. _I want to-_

The classroom door slides open with a loud bang and a boy she saw on her way in- the one with the crimson-layered-over-black hair and the funny eyebrows- stalks in with a pissed off look on his face. _Is that what a delinquent looks like?_ Ayano wonders idly. She sends her silent thanks to the boy; nobody’s paying attention to her now. “Ah, Kagami-kun, how nice of you to join us before lunch time!” Izuki-sensei announces and the class bursts out into snickering. The boy immediately looks sheepish, and he rubs the back of his head nervously with an apologetic grimace on his face. “S-sorry, Izuki-sensei.”

“It’s fine! I’m just happy you showed up today- the school’s calendar days left are numbered, you know?” The teacher chuckles to himself as the students look on in horror. _Did you really have to force that pun?!_ They seem to collectively think. “Ah, yeah.” The boy averts his eyes, shuffling his feet nervously. “Have a seat! Just take anyone you like!” Ayano claps her hand over her mouth to keep a shocked giggle from escaping. _A joke so bad, it’s good, I guess,_ she thinks to herself. Kagami doesn’t seem so amused, though, as he slinks to his seat…

…which is the empty seat in front of Ayano.

_I can’t tell if this is going to be a good thing or not._

*          *          *

Tetsuya watches as the blond boy- Kise Ryouta, who is apparently a model, from what he’s overheard- leaves the classroom at lunch, calling out “Aominecchi, wait for me, ssu~”. To be honest, Tetsuya is happy to see the boy gone; he’s been nothing but bothersome throughout morning classes, causing constant interruptions with passing notes, talking to people in the seats around him, and even texting on his phone. From what he’s seen so far, Kise Ryouta has no respect for school and is unnecessarily loud, flashy, and dramatic. In other words, Kise Ryouta is the type of person Tetsuya really can’t stand.

“Tetsu-nii!”

Everyone in the classroom- including Tetsuya- turn towards the door, where Ayano is standing, holding two boxes, each wrapped in some kind of fabric. “Come on, let’s go eat lunch outside! It’s so pretty out there!” She continues, smiling one of her big, happy smiles that are reserved just for her big brother. Tetsuya can feel himself smiling in response. “Alright, Ayano-chan.”

Ayano leads him through the school building, tugging him along by his jacket sleeve. Throughout the morning, she’s shed her jacket and sweater and rolled up her shirt sleeves and loosened her tie a bit- she looks a bit messy, but not in a bad way. She’s tied her hair up in a knotted bun, something that surprises Tetsuya; Ayano has always preferred to leave her hair down, even if it’s too long and gets in the way.

He decides it’s probably nothing. If something was wrong, Ayano would definitely tell him.

Right?

Ayano plops down on a bench in the school’s courtyard, which is populated by lots of birds and a few small groups of students sprawled out on the grass. “Okay, so I got up _really_ early this morning to make lunches because, you know, I’ve never had to pack a lunch before, so hopefully these aren’t too disgusting and awful!”

_I’m-_ “I’m sure they’re fine.” Tetsuya catches himself, speaking out loud instead of just speaking inside his sister’s head. Ayano smiles happily at him. _Good job, nii-chan!_ “Let’s dig in then!”

Tetsuya unties the cloth around the container, wondering if Ayano read a book about how to make bentos look presentable, or something, and mumbles a soft ‘thank you for the food’ before opening the container.

“It’s a bit of a mess…” Ayano notes as she stares down at the containers, where the food is all mixed together. Although, that isn’t really an issue since the food consists of a lot of rice and some oddly shaped chunks of vegetables. “How it looks doesn’t matter as long as it’s edible.” Tetsuya reassures her as he uses his chopsticks to shovel a bit of rice into his mouth. The rice is undercooked and the vegetables are uncomfortably warm, but it’s fine, Tetsuya decides. It’s edible. “You did very well, Ayano-chan. Thank you for preparing my lunch for me.”

She perks up immediately at her brother’s kind words. “It’s no trouble, nii-chan! I’ll make your lunch tomorrow, too, okay?”

“Alright. Thank you, Ayano-chan.”

A feeling of contentment settles over Tetsuya as he listens to Ayano babble about her pun-loving teacher and a classmate who apparently looks like a delinquent but is actually just an idiot who’s obsessed with beating some rival of his. It feels… normal. It almost feels like they’re normal kids on their first day at a new school. Or, it almost feels like what he supposes that feels like.

How things normal kids do feel is all just guesswork for the two of them. “What about you, Tetsu-nii? Anyone interesting in your class?”

Just as he opens his mouth to unload about the annoyance that is Kise Ryouta, the bell that signals the end of lunch sounds. Ayano’s excited expression dims a bit. “Oh, time to get back to class! Let’s go, nii-chan; we don’t want to be late!”

Tetsuya nods wordlessly at his sister. Something’s wrong; he can feel it. She’s upset about something.

Sadly, he’ll have to wait until after school to figure out what that something is.

*          *          *

Imayoshi’s glasses reflect the computer screen in front of him in a very ominous manner; it suits the small, sadistic smile on his lips. “Ah, sweet Ayano-chan~ it’s your first day and you’re already discouraged because of some girls’ comments. You’re so much weaker than I thought.” He continues to watch the feed of the girl fidgeting uncomfortably at her desk. The school’s security cameras have provided him with a _delectable_ viewing of his subjects’ first day in a normal environment. Tetsuya is as disinterested as he expected, but Ayano is so much more emotionally unstable than he thought she’d be. From her numerous psych evaluations, he knows she suffers from severe anxieties and acts over-confident to hide her insecurities- but.

But he didn’t realize how easy it was to make her _fall apart_.

“Your struggles are so _delicious_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:  
> \- high levels of stress or frustration make Ayano and Kuroko's abilities more powerful, so, when Ayano got all flustered and embarrassed, she was accidentally calling everyone's attention to herself  
> \- Kagami was late because he was playing a one-on-one with Aomine before school because they're basketball idiots
> 
> Hope you liked! Drop me a comment if you want to guess at future stuff or give suggestions or anything! (~@u@)~


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